Measurement reports

Abstract

According to an aspect, there is provided a method of operating a terminal device in a first communication network, wherein the first communication network is operated by a first network operator, the method comprising receiving ( 201 ) one or more signals; determining ( 203 ), for each of the one or more received signals, whether the signal was received from a network node that is considered by the first network operator to be a priority node or from a network node that is considered by the first network operator to be a non-priority node; forming ( 205 ) a measurement report comprising measurements of one or more of the received signals, the measurement report being formed by prioritizing the inclusion of measurements of signals received from priority nodes over measurements of signals received from non-priority nodes; and sending ( 207 ) the measurement report to a network node in the first communication network.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of operating a terminal device in a first communication network, wherein the first communication network is operated by a first network operator, the method comprising:
 receiving a list of network nodes that are considered by the first network operator to be priority nodes; 
 receiving one or more signals; 
 determining, for each of the one or more received signals, whether the signal was received from a network node that is considered by the first network operator to be a priority node or from a network node that is considered by the first network operator to be a non-priority node, wherein said determining comprises using the received list to determine whether each signal was received from a priority network node or from a non-priority network node; 
 forming a measurement report comprising measurements of one or more of the received signals, the measurement report being formed by prioritizing the inclusion of measurements of signals received from priority nodes over measurements of signals received from non-priority nodes; and 
 sending the measurement report to a network node in the first communication network. 
 
     
     
       2. The method as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the step of forming the measurement report comprises only including measurements of signals received from priority nodes. 
     
     
       3. The method as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the step of forming the measurement report comprises including an indication of the number of non-priority nodes that signals have been received from. 
     
     
       4. The method as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the step of forming the measurement report comprises including measurements of signals received from priority nodes, and only including one or more measurements of signals received from non-priority nodes if the number of measurements of signals received from priority nodes is less than a threshold value. 
     
     
       5. The method as defined in  claim 4 , wherein, in response to the number of measurements of signals received from priority nodes being less than the threshold value, the step of forming the measurement report comprises including one or more measurements of signals received from non-priority nodes that have the highest values for a quality metric. 
     
     
       6. The method as defined in  claim 4 , wherein, in response to the number of measurements of signals received from priority nodes being less than the threshold value, the step of forming the measurement report comprises including one or more measurements of signals received from non-priority nodes that operate on the same frequency, the same frequency band, the same channel and/or a neighboring channel as the priority nodes for which the measurements of the signals are included in the measurement report. 
     
     
       7. The method as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the step of forming the measurement report comprises applying an offset to measurements of signals received from priority nodes, and determining measurements of signals to include in the measurement report according to the offset measurements of signals from priority nodes and the measurements of the signals from non-priority nodes. 
     
     
       8. The method as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the measurements of signals are ordered in the measurement report according to a quality metric. 
     
     
       9. The method as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the measurements of signals are ordered in the measurement report according to whether the signals are received from priority nodes and non-priority nodes, and according to a quality metric. 
     
     
       10. The method as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the step of forming the measurement report comprises forming a first list that includes measurements of signals received from priority nodes and forming a second list that includes measurements of signals received from non-priority nodes. 
     
     
       11. The method as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the steps of forming the measurement report and sending a measurement report are only performed if a measurement of a signal received from at least one priority node meets predetermined criteria. 
     
     
       12. The method as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the list of network nodes comprises a list of identifiers of network nodes that are considered by the first network operator to be priority nodes. 
     
     
       13. The method as defined in  claim 12 , wherein the identifiers are wireless local area network (WLAN) identifiers such as a service set identifier (SSID), a basic SSID (BSSID), an extended SSID (ESSID), or a homogenous SSID (HESSID). 
     
     
       14. The method as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the step of determining comprises further determining that a signal originates from a network node that is considered by the first network operator to be a priority node if the priority node has the same network identifier as the first communication network. 
     
     
       15. The method as defined in  claim 14 , wherein the network identifier is a public land mobile network (PLMN) identifier. 
     
     
       16. The method as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the first communication network is operating according to a first radio access technology (RAT), and wherein one or more of the signals are received from network nodes operating according to a second RAT. 
     
     
       17. The method as defined in  claim 16 , wherein the second RAT is a wireless local area network (WLAN) RAT. 
     
     
       18. The method as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the first communication network is operating using licensed spectrum, and wherein one or more of the signals are received from network nodes using unlicensed spectrum. 
     
     
       19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program comprising program instructions that, when executed by a processor of a terminal device in a first communication network operated by a first network operator, cause the terminal device to:
 receive a list of network nodes that are considered by the first network operator to be priority nodes; 
 receive one or more signals; 
 determine, for each of the one or more received signals, whether the signal was received from a network node that is considered by the first network operator to be a priority node or from a network node that is considered by the first network operator to be a non-priority node, wherein said determining comprises using the received list to determine whether each signal was received from a priority network node or from a non-priority network node; 
 form a measurement report comprising measurements of one or more of the received signals, the measurement report being formed by prioritizing the inclusion of measurements of signals received from priority nodes over measurements of signals received from non-priority nodes; and 
 send the measurement report to a network node in the first communication network. 
 
     
     
       20. A terminal device for use in a first communication network, wherein the first communication network is operated by a first network operator, the terminal device comprising:
 transceiver circuitry configured for wireless transmission and reception; and 
 processing circuitry operatively associated with the transceiver circuitry and configured to:
 receive a list of network nodes that are considered by the first network operator to be priority nodes; 
 receive one or more signals; 
 determine, for each of the one or more received signals, whether the signal was received from a network node that is considered by the first network operator to be a priority node or from a network node that is considered by the first network operator to be a non-priority node, wherein said determining comprises using the received list to determine whether each signal was received from a priority network node or from a non-priority network node; 
 form a measurement report comprising measurements of one or more of the received signals, the measurement report being formed by prioritizing the inclusion of measurements of signals received from priority nodes over measurements of signals received from non-priority nodes; and 
 send the measurement report to a network node in the first communication network. 
 
 
     
     
       21. The terminal device as defined in  claim 20 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to form the measurement report by only including measurements of signals received from priority nodes. 
     
     
       22. The terminal device as defined in  claim 20 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to form the measurement report by including an indication of the number of non-priority nodes that signals have been received from. 
     
     
       23. The terminal device as defined in  claim 22 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to form the measurement report by including measurements of signals received from priority nodes, and only including one or more measurements of signals received from non-priority nodes if the number of measurements of signals received from priority nodes is less than a threshold value. 
     
     
       24. The terminal device as defined in  claim 23 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to form the measurement report by including one or more measurements of signals received from non-priority nodes that have the highest values for a quality metric responsive to the number of measurements of signals received from priority nodes being less than the threshold value. 
     
     
       25. The terminal device as defined in  claim 23 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to form the measurement report by including one or more measurements of signals received from non-priority nodes that operate on the same frequency, the same frequency band, the same channel and/or a neighboring channel as the priority nodes for which the measurements of the signals are included in the measurement report in the event that the number of measurements of signals received from priority nodes is less than the threshold value. 
     
     
       26. The terminal device as defined in  claim 20 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to form the measurement report by applying an offset to measurements of signals received from priority nodes, and determining measurements of signals to include in the measurement report according to the offset measurements of signals from priority nodes and the measurements of the signals from non-priority nodes. 
     
     
       27. The terminal device as defined in  claim 20 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to order the measurements of signals in the measurement report according to a quality metric. 
     
     
       28. The terminal device as defined in  claim 20 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to order the measurements of signals in the measurement report according to whether the signals are received from priority nodes and non-priority nodes, and according to a quality metric. 
     
     
       29. The terminal device as defined in  claim 20 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to form the measurement report by forming a first list that includes measurements of signals received from priority nodes and forming a second list that includes measurements of signals received from non-priority nodes. 
     
     
       30. The terminal device as defined in  claim 20 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to form the measurement report and send a measurement report only if a measurement of a signal received from at least one priority node meets predetermined criteria. 
     
     
       31. The terminal device as defined in  claim 20 , wherein the list of network nodes comprises a list of identifiers of network nodes that are considered by the first network operator to be priority nodes. 
     
     
       32. The terminal device as defined in  claim 31 , wherein the identifiers are wireless local area network (WLAN) identifiers such as a service set identifier (SSID), a basic SSID (BSSID), an extended SSID (ESSID), or a homogenous SSID (HESSID). 
     
     
       33. The terminal device as defined in  claim 20 , further wherein the processing circuitry is configured to determine that a signal originates from a network node that is considered by the first network operator to be a priority node if the priority node has the same network identifier as the first communication network. 
     
     
       34. The terminal device as defined in  claim 33 , wherein the network identifier is a public land mobile network (PLMN) identifier. 
     
     
       35. The terminal device as defined in  claim 20 , wherein the first communication network is operating according to a first radio access technology (RAT), and wherein one or more of the signals are received from network nodes operating according to a second RAT. 
     
     
       36. The terminal device as defined in  claim 35 , wherein the second RAT is a wireless local area network (WLAN) RAT. 
     
     
       37. The terminal device as defined in  claim 20 , wherein the first communication network is operating using licensed spectrum, and wherein one or more of the signals are received from network nodes using unlicensed spectrum.